Lacinato Kale and Mint Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing

Admittedly, we don’t eat much kale in our house, and really for no other reason than I just don’t notice it when I’m at the market (as if it doesn’t exist). Humph! It’s the season for kale right now and I have been noticing towering stalks growing in gardens while walking around the neighborhood, and needless to say, sparking my eagerness to pick some up next trip to the market.

I found this recipe on Food 52 and only made one minor change by switching out the walnuts for pecans. It’s out of this world delicious. Now I have a reason to plant lacinato kale in my garden next season. Perfect hearty salad for this time of year.

I n g r e d i e n t s

1 bunch of lacinato kale, chopped very small, almost minced

1 cup fresh mint, minced

1 cup pecans, chopped

spicy peanut dressing

3 tablespoons smooth natural peanut butter

3-6 tablespoons warm water (to achieve desired consistency)

3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced

2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon dried red chili flakes

Toss the chopped kale, chopped mint and pecans together.Add all dressing ingredients into a blender, starting with only 3 tablespoons of warm water and whirl until smooth. Add more warm water until you achieve a drizzly dressing consistency.Toss half of the dressing with the salad. Add more as desired. I only used 1/2 of the dressing for one large bunch of kale.

Oh good! I love it when it works out like that. Actually that’s what happened to me when I brought the kale home. I googled lacinato kale and found this recipe. I had everything on hand! You are going to love it.

Hi Cheri. I bought the pomegranate molasses at a market here in Seattle, called Metropolitan Market. It’s an upscale market with a huge variety of foodstuffs. Do you have a similar market in your area? Perhaps you could order some online through Amazon. :)

This salad looks like a great use of kale. I usually saute kale with onions and garlic and peppers when I get it in my CSA box, but I ate raw kale salad with miso dressing once and loved the texture and flavors. I think I would like this spicy peanut dressing, too. Printed, and will try it next week when I get my next batch of kale!

I do the same Ngan. Always cook kale rather than eat it raw. Whole Foods sells a pretty good raw kale salad with tahini dressing in their deli. I’ve always thought if they were to chop the kale into smaller pieces it would be much better. I practically minced the kale in this recipe and I think it really makes a difference, especially when eating it raw. The dressing is fabulous! I know you will love it.

While I was mincing the kale I thought about tossing it with the same type of dressing as a cole slaw. I think that would be wonderful too! Hope you get a chance to try the peanut dressing, it’s fantastic.

Had a very large amount of kale so I used the whole dressing. Added seeds from a whole pomegranate. You were right. Delicious! Very spicy, but leftovers will be more tame by tomorrow. I tasted the kale before dressing it and it tasted vile. Wondered if it was going to be a problem. Nope. With the dressing it is wonderful! Imagine that.

Now that I can get Cavolo nero I wouldn’t mind giving this a try. Particularly for the dressing! Haven’t used pomegranate molasses in too many years. And should be able to buy it in the International store next week. Raw kale?! I think I’ll do like you and shred it very, very fine! Oh, and mind the mint. It’s practically impossible to get rid of it. Hopefully nothing else grows well in your side yard. :) As that’s the best place to plant it. Either that or in concrete!

No kidding about the mint! Even though it’s only on the side yard I find it sprouting up in other areas not even in close proximity. This is certainly a kale with many alias’.. lacinato, dinosaur, tuscan and now Cavolo nero! :) Hadn’t heard it called Cavolo nero before. Regarding eating raw kale…check this out.

I didn’t do this, however, have had a raw kale salad made this way and it really made a difference. The peanut dressing actually softened the kale after it sat for a bit. Honestly, couldn’t stop eating it!

When I saw the peanut dressing recipe I knew instantly it was going to be delicious. Especially on the hearty kale. I can’t even remember what I served with it that night for dinner…that’s how good it is!

Oooh I am a Food 52 follower too! I sometimes enter the contests if I have anything contest-worthy. I’ve made it to the Community Picks once, though! Never hurts to try… BTW, lovely Kale salad! If only I can get my family to eat it. :)

I have thought about entering Food 52 contests for the fun of it. I always loved the idea of entering a recipe contest at the county fair. I lived in a very small California town and the fair was the the event of the year. As a child I would spend time walking around the recipe contest area looking at the ribbons on the pies and cakes. Yeah, that and the farming animals! Forget the rides and coin tosses… :)

The first time I laid eyes on lacinato kale I couldn’t imagine eating it. Not only is it thick and would (in my mind) require cooking the heck out of it but it looked like alligator skin…or dinosaur, rather. :) And here I am years later eating it raw…. Yum is right.

Have to admit, I am not a huge kale fan myself. I enjoy it if it is dressed up or even roasted crispy. This dressing was a refreshing way to eat it and I bet if the kale was massaged it would even be better. :)

Oh, this sounds great! I always have kale around, usually I blanch it and sauté it up with tons of garlic and chili flake. When I eat it raw, it’s mostly tossed with a lemon/Parmesan type of dressing. I love the idea of a peanut dressing — especially if it’s got some heat!

Yes I imagine curly kale wouldn’t work well as a raw salad. I have only prepared curly kale in the oven “crispy” style. What do you think about blanching the kale and tossing with this spicy peanut dressing and fresh mint? Now I am curious.

Thank you for the picture complement! You wouldn’t believe how many photo’s I had to take of that kale salad just to get one good one. I almost scratched the post because the salad was not very photogenic. After I tasted it I just had to post it and settled on this one. :)

I started to read the title and my heart sank at the word Kale then as my eyes moved across spicy peanut dressing made it soar. I am not a big fan of kale but you might have just convinced me to try it!

Hi Maria, I’m not a big fan of kale myself and especially the thought of eating it raw. I was pleasantly surprised how much I like this. The dressing really softened up the hearty leaves and the flavors in the dressing were outstanding! Hope you give it a go…or make the dressing for another green you enjoy. :)

Hey Seana– I’ve made an apple kale several times lately– and this looks super too!! I love the idea of the peanut dressing– anything peanutty is delicious and I’m just imagining it dredging the kale. going to try this soon! thanks.

What a great recipe! I’ve been looking for good ways to spice up my veggies and this hits the mark. Mint in salads is one of my new things. The dressing looks amazing. Do you make your own pomegranate molasses? I can’t wait to make this. Maybe tonight.

I have really taken a liking to mint this past year. I wasn’t very adventurous until I had so much of it in my yard I had to find things to do with it (other than mojito’s!) I don’t make my own pomegranate molasses. You?

Mint just wasn’t used in our cooking when I was a boy an I’ve been very slow to use it now that I’m (ahem) a bit older. Seeing salads like this one though, and that dressing, makes me want to go out and buy some mint. Your salad really does look amazing.

I wouldn’t imagine mint to be used much in traditional Italian cooking! Honestly, the only think my mom ever did with mint while I was growing up was serve mint jelly with lamb, and she used store bought mint jelly! :) I love it now! Always great to see you John!

I just had this wonderful salad for lunch – followed your directions to the letter minus the water, which once I blended everything together, thought the consistency was fine. A total success and I will be making it again. Thanks.

My day is officially made! Thank you for letting me know you tried it and enjoyed. I couldn’t stop eating it. That was a week ago and now I want to make it again…Maybe my peanut butter was a bit thicker than your’s. :)

We eat an embarrassing amount of kale- scotch curled, red russian, lacinato and I think a couple of mixes of the above that cross pollinated and self sowed… but anyways- I recently tried a cashew dressing but I’ve not tried peanut sauce. Thank you for introducing something new and original- I obviously missed it over at Food 52.